consciousness

noun

con·​scious·​ness ˈkän(t)-shəs-nəs 

1

a

: the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself

b

: the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact

c

: awareness

especially : concern for some social or political cause

The organization aims to raise the political consciousness of teenagers.

2

: the state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought : mind

3

: the totality of conscious states of an individual

4

: the normal state of conscious life

regained consciousness

5

: the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

Synonyms of consciousness

• awareness
• attention
• mindfulness

Examples of consciousness in a Sentence

The medication caused her to enter an altered state of consciousness.

The events have become part of the national consciousness.

He hopes that he can raise public consciousness of the disease.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the mid-nineteen-twenties, at the same time that Malinowski was sharing his findings from the Trobriand Islands, a handful of scientists were speculating about the next stage of human evolution and the rise of a global consciousness. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

The fragile skeleton of her ego threatened to snap under the pressure of the animal forces that pressed down on her consciousness, her narrative mind sagging and distended beneath pitiless and grandiose feeling. —Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026

Ruffalo is a proponent of films that tell true stories in a way that cement what could be passing news stories into the cultural consciousness, and/or have immediate real-life repercussions. —Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Jan. 2026

Through meditation, the mind naturally relaxes, settles into the present moment, and grants us access to our consciousness and our own innate intelligence. —Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Time, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see conscious entry 1

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing consciousness

• consciousness-raising
• hyper-consciousness
• lose consciousness
• regain consciousness
• social consciousness
• stream of consciousness
• unself-consciousness

Rhymes for consciousness

• unconsciousness

Kids Definition

consciousness

noun

con·​scious·​ness ˈkän-chəs-nəs 

1

: the condition of being conscious

2

: the normal state of conscious life in contrast to sleep or an insensible state

3

: the part of mental life that involves conscious thought and awareness

Medical Definition

consciousness

noun

con·​scious·​ness ˈkän-chə-snəs 

1

: the totality in psychology of sensations, perceptions, ideas, attitudes, and feelings of which an individual or a group is aware at any given time or within a given time span

altered states of consciousness, such as sleep, dreaming and hypnosis

—Bob Gaines

2

: waking life (as that to which one returns after sleep, trance, or fever) in which one's normal mental powers are present

the ether wore off and the patient regained consciousness

3

: the upper part of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes